European Day of Parks 2027 is on Monday, May 24, 2027. The EUROPARC Federation holds it every May 24 to mark Sweden’s creation of Europe’s first nine national parks in 1909.
European Day of Parks 2027 is the 29th edition of the observance, which the EUROPARC Federation launched in 1999. Unlike most international days, it was not designated by the United Nations or the European Union.
It is run by a federation of protected-area authorities in 36 countries. In 2027, May 24 falls on a Monday, after two years on a weekend: Saturday in 2025 and Sunday in 2026.
Parks therefore often spread their events across the weekend of May 22 and 23. The nine Swedish parks the day commemorates range from 28 hectares at Hamra to 197,000 hectares at Sarek.
This page gives the 2027 to 2031 dates, the recent themes, the original nine parks, and how the day relates to Natura 2000 and the EU’s 2030 biodiversity targets.
Table of Contents
When is European Day of Parks 2027?
European Day of Parks 2027 falls on Monday, May 24, 2027. The date is fixed at May 24 each year, so only the weekday changes.
The table below lists the date for the next five years, with weekdays.
| Year | Date | Weekday |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 | May 24, 2027 | Monday |
| 2028 | May 24, 2028 | Wednesday |
| 2029 | May 24, 2029 | Thursday |
| 2030 | May 24, 2030 | Friday |
| 2031 | May 24, 2031 | Saturday |
The observance is not a public holiday in any country. Parks organize events on or around May 24, and some register activities across the whole surrounding week or weekend.
Why European Day of Parks is on May 24
European Day of Parks is on May 24 because it marks the creation of Europe’s first national parks, a set of nine parks established in Sweden in 1909 (EUROPARC).
Historical sources date the Swedish parliament’s decision to May 1909 without always giving the day (Environment & Society Portal). EUROPARC uses May 24 as the anniversary.
What does European Day of Parks commemorate?
European Day of Parks commemorates the 1909 Swedish decision that made Sweden the first country in Europe to create a system of national parks.
Botanist and member of parliament Karl Starbäck introduced the proposal in the Riksdag. It followed explorer Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld’s 1880 suggestion to protect Scandinavian wilderness (Environment & Society Portal; Sweden’s National Parks).
The decision came 37 years after the United States created Yellowstone, the world’s first national park, in 1872.
Europe’s first nine national parks
Sweden created nine national parks in 1909, and they differ greatly in size. The table below lists each one with its area (Wikipedia; Sweden’s National Parks).
| National park | Area (hectares) | Landscape |
|---|---|---|
| Sarek | 197,000 | Mountain wilderness, Lapland |
| Stora Sjöfallet | 127,800 | Mountains and lakes, Lapland |
| Pieljekaise | 15,340 | Mountain birch forest, Lapland |
| Sånfjället | 10,300 | Mountain, central Sweden |
| Abisko | 7,700 | Mountain valley, Lapland |
| Gotska Sandön | 4,490 | Island in the Baltic Sea |
| Ängsö | 168 | Archipelago island, Stockholm region |
| Garphyttan | 111 | Cultivated meadow landscape |
| Hamra | 28 | Old-growth forest |
Sarek alone is about 7,000 times the size of Hamra. Sweden’s early parks were chosen largely for their scenic or tourist value rather than by ecological criteria (Sweden’s National Parks). Sweden had 30 national parks as of 2020, covering 743,238 hectares. The largest today is Padjelanta, at 198,400 hectares, established in 1962.
Who runs European Day of Parks?
The EUROPARC Federation runs European Day of Parks. It was founded on Saturday, May 12, 1973, in Basel, Switzerland, and is now based in Regensburg, Germany, with an office in Brussels (EUROPARC). Its members are protected-area authorities managing thousands of protected areas in 36 countries.
The first European Day of Parks, held on May 24, 1999, involved more than 100 organizations in 18 countries. The table below lists EUROPARC’s main milestones.
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1973 | EUROPARC founded in Basel |
| 1999 | First European Day of Parks |
| 2000 | European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas finalized |
| 2003 | Transboundary Parks programme launched, “Following Nature’s Design” |
| 2023 | 50th anniversary of the federation |
European Day of Parks themes
EUROPARC sets a theme for European Day of Parks each year, and the 2027 theme had not been announced as of October 7, 2026. The two most recent themes are listed below (EUROPARC).
| Year | Theme | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Together for Nature | Collaboration between parks and communities |
| 2026 | Connected by Nature | Ecological connectivity, wildlife corridors, partnerships between people and landscapes |
The 2026 theme, “Connected by Nature”, centred on how protected areas link habitats so species can move between them (EUROPARC). This page will add the 2027 theme once EUROPARC publishes it, usually in the first months of the year.
European Day of Parks 2026 in numbers
EUROPARC’s report on the 2026 edition gives a picture of the observance’s scale. The figures below come from that report (EUROPARC EDoP 2026 Report).
- Registered events: more than 110 on the EUROPARC website, with more held but not registered
- Largest single activity: about 15,000 people in a Dutch species challenge, who recorded nearly 482,000 observations of more than 7,000 species
- Countries with events: including the Netherlands, Austria, Czechia, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, Belgium and Montenegro
- Language versions: the official banner was produced in 19 languages
- Webinar: 516 registrations and 243 live participants
The registered-event count is a floor, not a total, because parks are not required to register their activities with EUROPARC.
How European Day of Parks is observed
European Day of Parks is observed through local events run by individual parks, from guided walks and educational workshops to community gatherings and awareness campaigns (EUROPARC). Parks are encouraged to link their activities to the year’s theme. To take part as an organizer, follow these steps:
- Read EUROPARC’s guidelines for parks for the current year.
- Plan an activity linked to the theme, such as a guided walk or a citizen-science count.
- Register the event on the EUROPARC website, so it appears on the European events map.
- Use the official banner, available in multiple languages; parks can submit translations into missing languages by email.
Visitors can find events through EUROPARC’s events listing or the websites of individual national and regional parks.
European Day of Parks and cross-border parks
Many European protected areas cross national borders, and EUROPARC certifies cross-border cooperation through its Transboundary Parks programme, launched in 2003.
One established example is the Tatra Mountains. Slovakia’s Tatra National Park (TANAP, founded 1949) and Poland’s Tatra National Park (TPN, founded 1954) together form the Tatra Mountains transboundary biosphere reserve, designated in 1992 (DEIMS-SDR).
The reserve covers about 785 square kilometres, with about 78 percent in Slovakia and 22 percent in Poland.
European Day of Parks, Natura 2000 and the EU’s 2030 targets
National parks are only one part of Europe’s protected-area system. The EU’s Natura 2000 network is far larger, with 27,165 sites covering 18.6 percent of EU land and 10.5 percent of EU marine territory in 2023 (European Environment Agency).
Natura 2000 sites are designated under the EU Habitats and Birds Directives. Many national parks overlap with Natura 2000 sites, but the two designations are separate.
Under the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, published on Wednesday, May 20, 2020, the EU committed to the targets below (EUROPARC):
- 30 percent of EU land legally protected
- 30 percent of EU sea legally protected
- 10 percent of land and 10 percent of sea under strict protection
- All remaining primary and old-growth forests strictly protected
The table below compares the main types of protected areas that European Day of Parks events take place in.
| Designation | Set by | Legal basis | Scale |
|---|---|---|---|
| National park | National governments | National law | Varies; Sweden alone has 30 |
| Natura 2000 site | EU member states under EU law | Habitats and Birds Directives | 27,165 sites in 2023 |
| Biosphere reserve | UNESCO, on national nomination | UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme | Can cross borders, as in the Tatras |
| Transboundary park | EUROPARC certification | Voluntary agreement between neighbouring parks | Cross-border cooperation |
What European Day of Parks is not
European Day of Parks is a non-governmental awareness day for Europe’s protected areas. It is not a UN international day, not an EU observance, and not a public holiday.
Several nature and parks days fall close to it or share its theme. The table below separates them.
| Observance | Date | Designated by | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| European Day of Parks | May 24 | EUROPARC Federation (1999) | Europe’s protected areas |
| International Day for Biological Diversity | May 22 | United Nations | Global biodiversity |
| International Tea Day | May 21 | United Nations | Tea production and livelihoods |
| World Environment Day | June 5 | United Nations Environment Programme | Global environment |
| Earth Day | April 22 | Earth Day Network (1970) | Global environment |
In 2027, the UN’s International Day for Biological Diversity falls on Saturday, May 22, two days before European Day of Parks. International Tea Day 2027 comes three days earlier, on Friday, May 21. World Environment Day 2027 follows on Saturday, June 5, and Earth Day 2027 falls on Thursday, April 22.
Frequently asked questions
Why is European Day of Parks on May 24?
European Day of Parks is on May 24 to mark the creation of Europe’s first national parks. Sweden established nine national parks in May 1909, including Sarek, Abisko and Stora Sjöfallet, and became the first European country to create a national park system. The EUROPARC Federation chose May 24 when it launched the day in 1999.
Who organizes European Day of Parks?
The EUROPARC Federation organizes European Day of Parks. EUROPARC was founded in Basel, Switzerland, on May 12, 1973, and is now based in Regensburg, Germany. Its members are protected-area authorities managing thousands of protected areas across 36 countries. Individual parks run the actual events and register them with EUROPARC.
What is the European Day of Parks 2027 theme?
The 2027 theme had not been announced as of October 7, 2026. EUROPARC sets a new theme each year. The 2026 theme was “Connected by Nature”, focused on ecological connectivity and wildlife corridors, and the 2025 theme was “Together for Nature”. EUROPARC usually publishes the new theme and guidelines for parks early in the year.
What were the first national parks in Europe?
The first national parks in Europe were nine Swedish parks created in 1909: Abisko, Ängsö, Garphyttan, Gotska Sandön, Hamra, Pieljekaise, Sånfjället, Sarek and Stora Sjöfallet. Sarek, at 197,000 hectares, is the largest of the nine. Hamra, at 28 hectares, is the smallest. Sweden had 30 national parks as of 2020.
Is European Day of Parks a public holiday?
No. European Day of Parks is an awareness day run by the EUROPARC Federation, not a public holiday, and no country gives a day off for it. In 2027 it falls on Monday, May 24, a normal working day across most of Europe. Many parks hold their events on the weekend before, May 22 and 23, 2027.
How do Natura 2000 sites differ from national parks?
Natura 2000 sites are designated by EU member states under the EU Habitats and Birds Directives, while national parks are created under each country’s national law. Natura 2000 is much larger, with 27,165 sites covering 18.6 percent of EU land in 2023. Many national parks are also Natura 2000 sites, but the two designations are separate.
Sources:
- EUROPARC: European Day of Parks
- EUROPARC: Join the European Day of Parks 2026 celebrations
- EUROPARC: EDoP 2026 Report
- EUROPARC: Our History
- EUROPARC: EU 2030 Biodiversity Strategy
- Sweden’s National Parks: History
- Environment & Society Portal: First national parks in Sweden
- Wikipedia: List of national parks of Sweden
- European Environment Agency: Natura 2000 sites designated
- DEIMS-SDR: Tatra Mountains Biosphere Reserve
